


The Past Meant Something

by dreaminginscenes



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 07:05:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17544977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminginscenes/pseuds/dreaminginscenes
Summary: In the Midst of the Final Battle, Roxas and Lea meet a forgotten friend.





	1. Tell Me Her Name

**Author's Note:**

> Fic collab with my wonderful sister, who unfortunately does not have an ao3 account. Check out her work on tumblr at imaginative-ink.tumblr.com  
> We just HAD to get our headcanons out before 3 RUINS THEM ALL GOOD LUCK EVERYONE THE FINAL DAYS ARE COMING.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas faces a new foe, Vanitas, who holds hostage the most important person to him.

_“Is she really that important to you? Then tell me her name.”_

Roxas’ mind raced. He knew her–he had to. He felt too much pain for her to be no one to him. A memory flashed through his mind; her black hair glowing with a halo in the pink sunset, her laughter drifting on a breeze. Waves, sand, and shells.

Shells…Sh…Xi…

“Xion.”

In an instant a life-time of memories flooded through him. He remembered; he remembered everything. Every joy, every heartache washed over him, each driving a stake deeper into his heart. There she was; the girl he treasured, the girl he had fought for, the girl he had lost.

The girl he had forgotten.

 _“Xion.”_ He said it again; simply her name seemed to fill the ever-explicable void in him. It was her.

She remained expressionless, golden eyes staring forward into a void.

Hysterical laughter stabbed his ear-drums. Vanitas grinned with delight. “Wow, so much effort just to remember the name of the ‘most important person in the world’ to you. You’re all just a bunch of hypocrites, aren’t you? ‘My friends are my power,’ yeah right. You all ditch each other the moment it’s convenient for you. You forget them, you leave them to rot in darkness, you let them die for you. But it’s all for the greater good, right?”

Vanitas leaned close to Xion’s ear, filling Roxas with a bubble of rage.

“Oh Xion…if you had a heart of your own it would be breaking, wouldn’t it? You kept telling me that Roxas would come for you and how he would remember you. And yet here he is, and he’s barely remembered your name.”

“That’s not true!” Roxas clenched his fists against the urge to strangle him. He couldn’t attack Vanitas so long as he held Xion in a wicked grip. “Xion, I remember. I remember everything. I always did. Namine says that memories are never really gone, they’re always in our hearts. I never forgot you. I never could. You were my reason for everything. All this time I’ve felt empty, like only half of a whole. I thought it was just because I was a Nobody, but I know why now. It was you. It was always you.” He fought back the tears filling his eyes. “Xion…I am so, _so_ sorry.”

Her eyes met his at last. A chill ran up his spine; that look was so unlike her.

“Sorry?”

Her voice sent a quiver through him; it was, yet wasn’t, her voice.

“You’re sorry?”

She shook off Vanitas hand and summoned her keyblade.

_“I gave up everything for you!”_

She closed the distance between her and Roxas. Vanitas remained behind like a hunter waiting for his dog to maul its prey.

“I was fine with disappearing! I was fine with losing my life!” 

She reached out and grasped his collar with a strength he had never seen, lifting him slightly. _“I JUST WANTED TO DIE!”_

Her keyblade came level with his face. Roxas fought the rising panic. She wouldn’t do it, right?

He met her eyes with a calmness he didn’t feel. She had know, despite everything, that he trusted her.

Tears squeezed from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. 

She released his collar suddenly, sending him to his knees. Her keyblade dropped to her side as she bowed her head in defeat.

“I just wanted to die…”

An odd mixture of relief and anguish filled his heart. She was there, trapped somewhere beneath the weight of Xehanort’s grasp.

Vanitas sneered. “You still don’t have what it takes, do you? You had one job to do; kill Roxas.”

He stepped forward. “You never had the guts to take the darkness, did you?”

A twisted obsidian keyblade melted into Vanitas hand. “If you won’t do it, then I w–”

Xion’s keyblade leveled with Vanitas’ face, her head still bowed. _“Stay away from me.”_

He batted the blade aside with a flick of his hand. “Please; there’s no fight left if you. Even if there was, what makes you think you could stand up to me?” He took another step forward. “You’re nothing but a pathetic weak puppe–”

Her head snapped up, locking eyes with Vanitas. _“Stay. Away. From me.”_

His eyes narrowed. “You wanna do it this way?” He raised his keyblade. “Then let’s do it, _princess.”_

The foes sprang at each other. A whirlwind of dust bombarded Roxas, blinding him from the battle.. Silhouettes danced before his eyes in a deadly dual. As sparks flew from the clashing blades he could catch the briefest glimpse of a face. Her eyes held a fire he had never seen before; it was beautiful and terrifying. Another flash of sparks; shadows etched across the demonic grin Vanitas wore, as though this were simply a game.

The dance halted. The dust parted, allowing Roxas to see clearly. She panted heavily, whether from fatigue or rage Roxas could not tell. Vanitas flipped his jagged keyblade in his hand idly.

“Why are you fighting so hard?” He crooned. “So much effort for no payback whatsoever. No matter what, you’re going to lose, Roxas will die, and you’ll still be Xehanort’s puppet. Just as you were always meant to be.”

She screamed, a scratching gravelly scream of someone with nothing left to lose. She brought her keyblade down on Vanitas like a club. 

His reflexes met her keyblade. For a moment Roxas saw fear in the devilish boy. Xion pounded again and again, screaming in rage with every swing of her blade. Vanitas could only fight to hold his ground; even that he was losing quickly.

She left herself open for a split second. Vantias took the chance and swung. Like lightning her keyblade collided with his and pinned it beneath hers. 

His eyes flashed with panic. Her face was inches from his.

She grinned evilly. “Too slow.”

She flung her blade up across his chin with a crack, flinging him backwards. Stones cracked and sprayed into the air as he crashed into the ground.

Roxas held his breath; there was no movement.

Xion stood still; keyblade limp at her side, her back to Roxas. He wanted to run to her; embrace her; hold and protect her. Anything, but he held still. The red dust settled around them, tinting her white hair with a bloody hue.

He heard her sigh lightly. “It was always pain…every day…everything that went right fell apart…I hoped that disappearing would finally be the end of it.”

She paused. Roxas dared not breathe.

“But it all started again. And it’s getting worse every minute…I'm…I just…”

She trailed off into silence, perhaps afraid her voice would betray her.

It was now or never, and he wouldn’t lose her again. “I know.”

She cocked her head slightly at his voice.

“You’re being used; you’re angry; you’re hurting. I know exactly how it feels. It's…it's…I don’t know how to describe it, but I know. And I am sorry. I am so sorry I put you through this.”

She turned to him at last; tears tracked rivers through the dust on her cheeks, her eyes pleading for relief. Roxas felt his heart twist cruelly.

He held out his hand, remembering another time when she pled for help and his hand had given her strength. Her eyes flitted to his open palm for a moment as though uncertain of the gesture.

“You can be free. He hasn’t won, and he won’t. I won’t fail you this time; I promise.”

That look in her eyes; she was desperate to believe him.

She raised her hand to his.

A flash of black streaked forward and slashed her head, hurling her to the ground.

 _“XION!!!”_ Roxas sprang forward to catch her; a black keyblade cut him off abruptly.

Vanitas’ glare was fixed where she lay on the cracked rocks, clutching at the oozing gash in her face.

 _“You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”_ His voice was raw and violent. 

Xion struggled to raise herself. He flicked his hand and a blast of gravity shoved her back against the unforgiving stone, pinning her to the ground.

Roxas summoned his keyblade. “LET HER GO!!!”

Roxas swung, but his foe blocked it with ease. 

Vanitas turned his head slowly, like a vulture to its corpse. His eyes held no villainous calm, but twitched with a glint of madness.

In a sweeping motion he drew back his blade and slashed at Roxas’ neck. Roxas blocked hastily, the impact jarring his bones.

Vanitas’s blade sliced through the air again and again, each time aiming to kill. His game had changed; he wanted blood.

It took all of Roxas’ energy just to stay alive. At the edge of his vision he could see Xion struggling against the spell that still held her down. Dust stuck where the blood still seeped across her cheek.

She managed to kick against her invisible trap; the stir caught Vanitas attention for a moment. Roxas took his chance and stabbed for his deformed heart.

Two red lights flew past Roxas; eyes; he flew back by his wrists and smacked against the cliff face.

Iron-hot heat seared his wrists. He let out a cry and struggled against the bindings. 

A tall, cloaked figure emerged from the haze. In an instant Roxas’ rage doubled; he knew the man striding towards him.

Xemnas.

 _“YOU!! YOU SLIMY SON OF A–”_ Another red light shot out and clamped between his teeth. His head smacked against the rocky wall, dazing him momentarily.

He distantly heard Xion shriek his name before she too was silenced.

He shook his head to clear the spots, then returned his burning glare to his former master.

Xemnas paid him no heed. “Vanitas; what happened here? How did you lose control of the vessel?”

Vanitas wiped a hand across his chin where Xion had cut him, smearing a trail of blood. “It wasn’t my fault, idiot! I told Xehanort that puppet was too unstable!”

Roxas kicked and beat against his shackles. How dare he call her that!

Vanitas pointed an accusatory finger at Roxas. “Plus, you told me he wouldn’t remember! Guess what, he did! He made that thing go haywire!”

Xemnas turned to Roxas as though finally acknowledging his prisoner’s existence.

He raised a gloved hand and lifted Roxas’ chin, examining him like a bug under a microscope. “He remembered; intriguing.”

Roxas wanted to bite his finger off and spit it back in his face.

Xemnas dropped his hand, unfazed by Roxas’ deadly glare. “We could turn this to our advantage. Perhaps he could be of use to us with another issue.” He glanced up the cliff face to the ledge far above. 

Roxas strained his ears for a moment, and heard a distant battle raging overhead. Which of his friends was Xemnas planning to use him against now?

Xemnas waved a hand at Vanitas. “Go fetch the puppet, boy.”

Vanitas snarled at the remark but did as he was told. 

Roxas locked eyes with Xion for a moment. Fear filled her eyes as much as it did his stomach.

Vanitas kicked Xion in the side, eliciting a whimper from her before Xehanort flicked a finger and bound her hands with a sparking laser. She cried as they burned her. Ignoring her kicking and struggling, Vanitas lifted her to her feet with a firm grip like she was no heavier than her own keyblade abandoned at her feet.

Another wrist flick from Xemnas and Roxas fell to his knees, his wrists clamping together behind him. Dragging Xion, Vanitas stepped back beside Xemnas to wait further instruction.

“Why does the old man even want Roxas dead in the first place?? Doesn’t he need all of the seven lights??”

Xemnas chuckled. “It will all make sense in time, boy.”

Vanitas huffed in annoyance, a respone Roxas had often seen in another boy who shared the same face.

Despite the pain in his wrists and the fire in his stomach, Roxas couldn’t help but laugh.

Vanitas shot him a seething glare, daring Roxas to continue. “What’s so funny, idiot?”

Xemnas, apparently curious, twitched a finger to drop the gag from Roxas. 

He licked his cracked lips once before grinning at Vanitas. “And I thought _I_ was a bad fake.”

Vantias face twisted. He raised the hilt of his keyblade and with a sadistic blow, Roxas’ vision went black.


	2. We Had A Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lea finds himself alone to face familiar foes.  
> (Written by imaginative-ink)

“Guys? _GUYS?”_

Lea called out, but no one answered. All he could remember was a giant wave of Heartless barreling over the barren valley. He had gotten caught up in the wave, tossed and turned, smacking at the Shadows whenever he could orient himself, and then unceremoniously dumped onto the dusty ground. Face first, of course. 

Now that he was observing the area around him, he could make out voices in the distance. He thought he could vaguely hear Kairi screaming a battle cry. Months of training with her and he could recognize that indignant screech anywhere. As he scanned the horizon, trying to pick out where the sound was coming from, there arose a great cloud of dust, punctured with lightning zaps and Shadows.

Well, at least he wasn’t a long way’s out. But it was still gonna be a pain to get back to them. Maybe he could risk using the Dark Corridors, though there was a very high probability that Xehanort’s lackeys would be using them, too.

As if on cue, a telltale whoosh came from behind him. Lea rounded around to see the Superior himself, Xemnas, emerge from a Dark Corridor.

 _Well,_ thought Lea, _There goes that plan._

Lea never liked seeing that guy smile, but there was something all-too-knowing in that grin when Isa emerged from the Dark Corridor behind Xemnas.

 _Of course,_ Lea sighed to himself. 

Learning the fate of his old best friend had stung a little, now that he knew Isa was slowly transforming into the old ‘Nort himself. Definitely explained a lot of his behavior when they were both in the old Organization. But that didn’t stop the pangs of guilt that now came staring into that scarred face, knowing that he, Lea, had pushed Isa into becoming Xemnas’s right-hand man. Of course, neither of them knew at the time that doing so had sealed Isa’s place in Xehanort’s new Organization. Even though they had been growing distant at that point and now were basically complete strangers compared to when they were kids, Lea couldn’t help but feel sad when he saw those golden eyes pierce through him. Eyes that he remembered once being as green as the ocean. 

Not that Isa had cared about the past. That much was apparent in his attitude toward Lea in the last several years. So Lea shoved his guilt down and instead focused on Xemnas.

“Didn’t think we’d have to meet up again so soon, _boss,_ ” said Lea, adding as much derision as he could into the last word. He never liked the guy before, and Xehanort’s grand scheme had only given him even more reasons to dislike Xemnas. 

“On the contrary,” drawled Xemnas, bringing a hand dramatically up to where his heart ought to be, “I thought that maybe we could set aside our differences and have a reunion of old friends.”

Lea glanced over at Isa. So that was it. Xemnas thought he could weaken his resolve or something by most likely pitting the two of them against each other. Wouldn’t be the first time Xemnas had forced him into fighting a friend. Though he knew the odds of him winning against Isa were pretty slim.

Instead, Lea scoffed at Xemnas. “’Friends’ is rather a strong word, don’t you think?” If he could just keep Xemnas talking long enough, he could figure a way out of this mess… 

“Perhaps,” conceded Xemnas. “It’s a shame you weren’t there for your friends. You seemed to have even blocked them out of your memory…”

Lea froze. How could Xemnas possibly know about his missing “friend?” That there was always someone in the back of his mind, a name on the tip of his tongue, someone lurking out of sight in his dreams? That he could almost, just almost, figure out who this person was whenever he looked at Kairi? And the undeniable, squeezing feeling that, whoever this person was, had been incredibly important to him? And that he felt so ashamed of being unable to remember?

Something must’ve registered on his face, because Xemnas smiled that horrible smile. “Dear puppet, it’s time to come out now.”

Once more, the Dark Corridor opened, and out stepped a small, slim figure. The coat was oversized, the hood dropping well over the figure’s face, but Lea somehow knew this newcomer was a girl. Something just felt right about that fact. His breath caught in his throat as he took her in. 

There was no doubt about it; he knew her. This had to be his missing friend.

But what was her name?

Without thinking twice about it, Lea started approaching the girl. He was so close to figuring it out… But he didn’t even take two steps towards her when she brandished a Keyblade in his face. He numbly registered that it was the same as Roxas’s Keyblade. But somehow, that was… right?

The girl then ran the butt of her Keyblade into his gut, knocking him over and the wind out of him. 

Lea doubled over in pain, but forced himself to look back at the girl. He tried to catch a glimpse of her face underneath the hood, but she turned away from him. She still held her Keyblade to his face.

“Who… are you?” Lea choked out, emotion constricting his throat. What was going on? If it hurt this much, how did he possibly forget this girl? But the girl said nothing in response, keeping her Keyblade level and her gaze averted. 

Xemnas chuckled, breaking Lea out of his reverie. “You don’t recognize an old friend?”

_Screw this._

Lea lunged for the girl, yanking her Keyblade with one hand and forcing her to stumble towards him. She yelped with surprise. He knew that voice. As surely as he knew Kairi’s or Roxas’s. 

As she tripped towards him, Lea kept a firm grip on her Keyblade, and then grabbed the top of her hood with his other hand, forcing it back.

The girl finally looked at him directly in the face.

Lea dropped to his knees, unable to breathe. His hands slid down to his sides, the tips of his fingers tingling with shock as he gazed into her face. 

Xion.

Unbidden, tears began welling up in his eyes. Images flashed in his mind. There were three of them the whole time. It wasn’t just him and Roxas. They would all meet up at the clock tower in Twilight Town after every mission. There was a time when she couldn’t use her Keyblade, and he had convinced Saix to let her and Roxas go on missions together to alleviate any suspicion. There was their first day off, and Xion had to organize a meeting about it. Countless sunsets, except that Roxas had the number memorized, thousands of ice cream bars, the jokes, the laughs…

But just as quickly came the memories of the lies. How he had learned the truth about her, and then kept it from her and Roxas. The betrayal he had felt from both of them, knowing he deserved it. And in his quest to keep them all together, maybe he had actually wedged them further apart from each other. How he was willing to let her be subject to Xemnas’s awful experiments just in the name of friendship. 

Now that he could see her silver hair and yellow eyes did he realize how stupid he had been. 

Lea reached out to grasp her, just to reassure himself that she was real. He didn’t blame her for retreating several steps. If his now-recovered memory were true, they had fought the last time he’d seen her. It was probably the most painful memory of all, remembering how he’d cried out, sick of losing everyone he’d ever cared about. And that he was willing to hurt her to keep her in his life. 

Some friend he was. 

Xemnas laughed again. “Ah, so you do remember her. Very good. I’m sure you have much you want to say to her, right?”

“I - ” Lea stammered. Of course he wanted to say something to her. A million things. But nothing came out. 

“And I’m sure she has much she want to say to you. Isn’t that right, Xion?” Xemnas turned towards her. But Xion hung her head, Lea recognizing the gesture from times when she was shy and didn’t want to draw attention to herself. It was something that Namine did a lot when she was trapped at Castle Oblivion. The way that Xemnas now glowered over her reminded him a lot of the way Marluxia would tower over Namine as well. 

The comparison acted as a stimulant, boiling Lea’s blood. “Let her go,” he growled. 

“I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that,” replied Xemnas. He placed a hand on Xion’s shoulder, making her jump a little. Lea wanted to punch that dumb smirk off his face even more now. His instinct to rush to her grew even stronger when he saw that her face had been cut and was bleeding. “You see,” continued Xemnas, “Xion is a very important member in our new Organization. We simply would not be able to bear losing her. Not when she’s so needed with us.”

“Oh, I’m sure she is,” said Lea in a low voice, rising to his feet and readying his Keyblade. “I’m sure you can’t do without her.”

“Quite true,” agreed Xemnas, ignoring Lea’s sarcasm. “To give her up would mean we’d be one Darkness short of thirteen.

“Although, we may be willing to make some… different arrangements.” Xemnas pulled Xion to his side, ignoring her visible flinch. Lea could feel heat waves rising around him now. 

“What kind of arrangements?” Lea replied in a low hiss. As much as he wanted to hurl his Keyblade at this jerk, he couldn’t risk hitting Xion. It seemed to him that Xemnas knew that and deliberately squeezed her closer to him. Xion was now visibly shaking.

“A choice,” Xemnas replied, “We need thirteen Darknesses, and you seven Lights. Though it appears that you seem to be one short. And that we have one too many.” 

“‘One too many?’” Lea repeated, confusion replacing his hostility for a moment. “I would’ve thought the old geezer would like that.”

“On the contrary,” Xemnas replied, “It is problematic. The X-Blade cannot be forged with fourteen Darknesses and only six Lights; no, the numbers must be exact. But Master Xehanort thought that you, Lea, would be given the honor to decide on the final numbers.”

For a fourth time, a Dark Corridor opened. Out tumbled and fell to the ground, clearly disheveled and limping, was Roxas.

Lea immediately felt the air around him that had been growing hot suddenly turn cold. 

“Xion, as I said, is a valuable member of our Organization,” Xemnas pressed on, his smile widening at the shock on Lea’s face. “But Roxas - ” he gestured to Roxas stirring feebly in the dirt “ - once proved his worth in the past. But it is clear that their talents can and have been used by the assembled Lights. 

“Which leads to the choice, Lea: will you take Roxas to be the last of the Seven Lights, or Xion? Though I suppose this pales in comparison to the ultimate question: who do you care for more; the puppet or the Nobody?”

Lea couldn’t move; he felt his entire body protest at the question Xemnas posed. It was absurd to think he could care for one friend more than the other. Almost against his will, Lea’s eyes darted to Isa, who had not spoken a word since he stepped out of the Corridor. There was a time when Isa – then Saix – had asked him a similar question. Perhaps that wasn’t a coincidence. But Isa’s face was as instructable as always. 

“You can have Xion back,” said Xemnas silkily, “Regain all your lost memories. Perhaps you two can talk things over, repair the pain of the past. Just give us Roxas.”

“No,” croaked Lea. He didn’t mean to say it so suddenly, but he couldn’t allow himself to imagine the possibility of giving up Roxas. At the same time, he couldn’t imagine giving up Xion, either, not when he had just remembered her.

“Come now,” chided Xemnas, still keeping a firm grip on Xion as he shifted his stance toward Roxas. “You don’t have to be so distraught. Either way, they are both free from the shackles of Sora’s heart. Don’t deny that you often thought of them trapped rather than safe. And regardless of your choice, the both of them have great destinies to fulfill. Don’t you think that it’s now so much the better than they are free from Sora?”

Lea almost blurted out, “No!” but the word caught in his throat. At this point, both Roxas and Xion would be much safer in Sora’s heart than anywhere else… but he couldn’t deny the silent thoughts that that once or twice crept through his mind about what would happen if Sora were to lose his heart again and what that would mean for Roxas… and now what that would mean for Xion.

Then Xion finally spoke. “Axel…” she began in a tiny voice. But Xemnas increased his grip on her, silencing her.

Hearing her voice, hearing that name from her, forced Lea out of his stupor. He locked eyes with her again, but she didn’t avert her gaze this time. Instead, she stuck her chin out resolutely. He could remember her giving him that same determined but scared look the last time they met. But somehow, he could tell that she was not afraid of him this time. 

Lea shifted his gaze over to Roxas. He definitely looked worse for wear; he wasn’t even standing up. But like Xion, Roxas wore a determined expression and nodded once to Lea. 

Lea shook his head and straightened up. “I dunno. I always got the impression that Roxas hated being part of your little club.”

Xemnas blinked in surprise. “So you’d give up Xion that easily?”

“Absolutely not,” growled Lea. “I was just about to say she tried to run away from you creeps a ton of times, so I don’t think she wants to hang out with you guys either.”

“Then clearly you value this simple puppet over Roxas,” concluded Xemnas, giving Xion a little shake. She whimpered. Roxas snarled at Xemnas.

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Lea roared. He was sick of this, sick of his own friends being used against him. Sick of seeing these kids hurt and scared. He brandished his Keyblade into a ready position, daring Xemnas to strike first. “I won’t let you have either one of them!”

“Very well,” whispered Xemnas, sending an involuntary shiver down Lea’s spine. But he couldn’t care less what would happen next. Although he doubted it would matter, he would try to make up for every lie he ever told Roxas and Xion by making sure Xehanort never laid a finger on either of them again.

Xemnas, however, made no move to attack Lea. He simply stood there, with Isa standing stoically behind. Lea was seething, shaking, his Keyblade rattling in his hands as his palms began to sweat. He wanted to throw himself at Xemnas, but not with Xion and Roxas so close. 

Finally, Xemnas huffed a sigh. “You’ve gained self-control. I thought I’d never see the day,” he said softly. “Then this is how it must be.”

Before Lea could register Xemnas’s words, Xemnas flung Xion far from him, sending her flying against some nearby boulders. Lea gasped as she hit them with a loud crack, feebly stirring at their base. In the same moment, Xemnas tossed Roxas aside in the other direction as easily as if he were a ragdoll. As Lea opened his mouth in a yell of outrage, Xemnas snapped his fingers. 

At once, Lea’s body seized up. His arms were stretched to their limit on either side of him and his Keyblade clattered uselessly to the ground. His feet were rooted in the spot and his head forced upward. He tried to speak, but it seemed that his throat had seized up, too. As Lea struggled against his invisible bonds, Xemnas snapped his fingers again. 

The air hummed around Lea as he saw to his horror a million red lasers pointing directly at him. Sweat began dripping from his upturned face as he was forced to look at what would surely be his doom. 

One laser pierced him. Then another. And then another. Another. He couldn’t even scream at the pain of it all. Only watch. Lasers tore through his coat and across his face. And he could only watch.

The pain thrummed throughout his entire being. He was only now aware that he was looking at the world sideways; Xemnas had let him just fall to the ground like a discarded marionette. The lasers were gone, but Lea could smell his singed clothing and skin. Aware now that he could use his lungs, he drew in ragged gasps. His vision blurred but he could make out someone approaching where he lay. He drew in a sharp breath as he felt his head be yanked up by his hair, his neck protesting against the curve it was forced into.

Xemnas’s hot breath was heavy on his ear. “Master Xehanort grows impatient,” he whispered. “Roxas or Xion?”

He twisted Lea’s hair so that they were now nose to nose. Lea took the opportunity to spit in his face. 

Xemnas regarded Lea with disdain, and let him drop once more. “You really have changed,” he mumbled. “And yet, you are still no different. I suppose that’s one of the many complications of having your own heart.”

He turned his back on Lea and walked away. Approaching Xion, still laying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Xemnas aggressively hoisted her up by the forearm, managing to lift her several inches. 

“No…” Lea tried to protest, but only a grunt escaped from his mouth. 

Isa had similarly grabbed Roxas by his shirt, now unconscious and looking even more ragged. Xemnas dragged Xion behind him, who was fighting against his grip. A Dark Corridor opened in front of them. 

“Wait…” Lea tried again. Barely a sound came out.

Isa took one last look at him, his expression unreadable with one hand vise-like on Roxas’s collar. They were all just about to step through.

“WAIT!” Lea finally managed something above a pained whisper. Xemnas and Isa stopped in their tracks, turning slowly to regard Lea. 

The answer was suddenly so clear to him. But he had to do this right. It might also be the only thing that he could do to make up for everything he had done to these kids. 

“Take me instead,” he said as clearly as he could. 

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. Lea thought he saw Isa’s eyes widen. So he pressed on. “You heard me. I’ll join your club. You’ll still get a Keyblade wielder. Maybe not the best, but at least you’d get one who wasn’t trying to run away. You can have me so long as you let Xion go and you never touch Roxas again.”

Though he was stiff and shaking, Lea forced himself to stand. He had to make sure this worked. He spread his arms in surrender. Xemnas had to take this… he just had to…

“That’s absurd.” The voice shocked Lea so much he almost fell over again. Isa had finally spoken. “Xehanort would never allow him into our ranks. He’s weak. And his track record of disloyalty doesn’t help, either.”

“Indeed,” said Xemnas absentmindedly, though he was regarding Lea carefully. Lea forced himself to stare back into those gold eyes boring into his own. _Please, let this work. Just let them go._

“NO!” Xion’s scream was terrible. Lea couldn’t help but turn his attention to her. She was fighting against Xemnas’s grip on her arm, but to no avail. Once again, Lea felt his eyes water up.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. She momentarily stopped fighting against Xemnas as Lea now turned his full attention to her. It was imperative that she understood what was happening… and why. “Xion… I know made you hurt. I know I lied to you. And Roxas. But please believe me when I say this one truth, probably the truest thing my dumb lying mouth has ever said.

“I love you, kiddo. And I promise that I will always bring you back.”

He could see Xion’s eyes watering over, so Lea offered back a smile. Roxas was still slumped over in Isa’s grasp, but Lea hoped with all his heart that maybe his words had reached him, too. After trying so many times to bring Roxas back into the Organization, there was some poetic justice in finally letting him leave it behind once and for all.

Xemnas finally relinquished Xion, letting her drop and stumble away from him. He slowly approached Lea, a skeptical look on his face. 

“You really do mean it, don’t you?” said Xemnas softly. Lea made no reply, only stared back into those yellow eyes. Guess he’d be looking like that soon enough. But it’d be a small sacrifice to pay if Roxas and Xion were going to be okay. 

“Lord Xemnas,” called Isa impatiently, dropping Roxas with a dull thud. “Is it really worth the effort? We already have full ranks. To introduce a new vessel, even as a replacement, would be too much of a gamble.”

“Be that as it may,” replied Xemnas, “Master Xehanort would be pleased to have a… willing vessel.”

Xemnas raised a hand above his head, dark lightning cackling from it. Lea felt the hairs on the back of neck stand on end. His heart began to beat faster, as if aware that this could be the last time it was its own entity. But he still refused to look away from Xemnas. Let his last moments with his sense of self still intact be burned into this man’s mind. Xemnas and Xehanort would remember this, he would make certain. 

As the lightning in Xemnas’s hand began glowing ominously, Lea shifted his gaze back to Xion, who was now standing over Roxas. At least let the last thing he saw be something worth remembering. Maybe he was good for something after all if it meant that she and Roxas could be saved. 

Lea heard a whoosh of metal as he saw a great, spiked claymore reach out over Xemnas’s shoulder. Brandishing it, and clearly angry, was Isa. 

The lightning in Xemnas’s hand sizzled away as his eyes slid in the direction of the weapon. Lea gaped at Isa, whose brow was furrowed in an expression even more serious than his usual. Why would Isa threaten Xemnas like this? They were supposed to be on the same side, right? Isa was never one to disobey any order, let alone threaten a superior.

“Do not forget what Master Xehanort said, _Xemnas_ ,” Isa growled. Lea had heard Isa speak with contempt plenty of times, but this was unbridled venom. “Or would you rather disobey a direct order from him?”

Order? Lea wanted to ask, but he stayed silent. Something was breaking between the two men. 

Xemnas finally deigned to turn his head toward Isa, lowering his arms slightly. “Perhaps you should search your heart for the answer, Isa,” he replied smoothly.

Isa was silent for a moment. Lea noted that the scar on his face had begun to widen and reopen, something that only happened when Isa was about to fly into a rage…

“Do not forget that Master Xehanort and I had a deal of our own,” said Isa. “You know what it was.”

Xemnas snorted with derision and turned around to fully face Isa, still staring down at him from the end of the claymore. “So the past does mean something to you then, after all this time. After everything you’ve done.”

“It matters enough that I still keep my promises,” replied Isa with a snarl, his scar now looking as fresh as it was the day Lea first saw it carved in his face.

Lea’s head was now spinning, trying to make sense of the conversation. But in his beleaguered and pained state, it was hard to keep his thoughts straight. What sort of deal could Isa have ever struck up with the old man? What about Isa’s past could’ve ever mattered to Xehanort - ? 

It all finally clicked. Lea collapsed to the ground, his tired legs giving out from under him, shock making his hands and feet go numb. There was no way, absolutely no way this could be true. 

Quick as a flash, Xemnas unsheathed red lasers from his hands and caught Isa’s claymore in a twist. Unflinching, Isa brought his face close to Xemnas’s.

“We. Had. A. Deal,” he snarled through gritted teeth.

“ISA!!!” Lea screamed, unsure about what else to do. Could the boy who had once been his friend a million years ago was still there somewhere? Maybe he hadn’t been that far away for all those years of rigid conversation and drifting apart… But he had to know. He had to hear Isa say it himself. That the past did matter, after all these years. The past still meant something to him. 

With a jump and a shriek, Xion came bowling into Xemnas with her Keyblade in hand. And with unsuppressed rage, Roxas leaped after her at Xemnas, any prior injury forgotten; all three of the men had completely forgotten about the two laying on the ground. Lea felt distantly impressed by Xion’s nerve and Roxas’s tenacity, but more shock as Isa took advantage of their surprise and struck at Xemnas with a sweeping blow. A million conflicted thoughts flitted through Lea’s mind as he numbly sat there, not really watching the battle in front of him.

Isa made a deal with Xehanort… Xehanort must’ve been planning on backing out… But not before giving some kind of order to the rest of the Organization… What kind of a deal…? He couldn’t allow himself to think it… to wish it…

A clang of metal suddenly caught his attention; Isa had managed to pin down Xemnas’s blades hard enough to prevent him from moving them. For the first time since stepping out of the Corridor, Isa stared Lea full in the face. And Lea thought he saw him clearly for the first time. 

“GO!!!” Isa bellowed. 

A great shockwave resonated from Isa, sending Lea quite literally flying through the air like the Heartless had done to him before. As Lea felt himself lift off the ground, he could make out Roxas and Xion holding Keyblades to Xemnas’s throat. And Isa, still gazing up at where he flew backwards, away from the fight…

And Lea could’ve sworn that a smile crossed Isa’s face.

He crashed and bounced on the ground several times before skidding to a halt. Even more battered a bruised than before, Lea attempted to hoist himself up, but his arms quickly gave out from underneath him. But he had to save Xion from Xehanort. He had to bring Roxas back safe and sound. And Isa. That idiot. That colossal, self-sacrificing, lying idiot. He had to apologize to him.

His ears rang and his vision blurred as he attempted to stand up one more time, then promptly collapsed. Even if he were to somehow magically be able to stand up any time soon, he couldn’t tell where he was; Isa’s blast had sent him flying for quite a distance. 

As if through a tunnel, he could hear someone yelling his name over and over again. Shapes and shadows swam in front of his eyes, nothing focusing into view. Over and over again he heard the voice cry out his name. Was it Xion again…?

Kairi. Her red hair and violet eyes became clear to him as she leaned in. “Lea! Wake up! Wake up! Are you okay?!”

Lea tried to nod, but his head merely lolled side to side as Kairi pulled him into a sitting position. He grunted at the sharp pains that echoed through his joints. She gingerly leaned him up against a boulder. 

“Lea!” Kairi said again, “What happened to you? Who did this?”

“Isa,” whispered Lea, not in response to Kairi’s questions, but only because he needed to hear himself say it out loud. “Saved me…”

“Isa? Saved… what are you talking about?” Kairi repeated with worry. 

“He saved me from Xehanort… for years…” replied Lea.

The only reason why Isa had been able to climb to the top of Xehanort’s ladder was because of him… Not because Lea actually did anything useful, like he had thought he had done, not because he and Isa had made some grand schemes in the distant past. But because Isa took the fall for him. Isa had let Xehanort take his heart in exchange for Lea’s freedom. 

Exchange… freedom… wait…

“Xion! Roxas!” Lea cried out, lurching forward. Xion was still stuck with that creep, and now would probably have to pay a hefty price for fighting back against Xemnas. And Roxas. What if the Organization decided they did actually want him? Would he end up the same as Xion? Yellow eyes and silver hair?

The sudden movement made him grow dizzy again and he let his head fall back against the boulder again. Kairi was saying something, but he couldn’t quite figure out what…

Xion… he finally remembered her, only to lose her again.

He finally saw Roxas again… but he was long gone again.

And Isa. The truth at last. 

The past had mattered to them.

Some friend he turned out to be.


End file.
